Buttonville airport’s secondary plans revealed

Secondary plans for the Buttonville airport lands were put forward recently, revealing details of the master plan for the soon-to-be-built employment district.

In a report presented to Markham councillors late last year, planner Don Given outlined details of the proposal, which include a mixed development with office, retail and residential buildings.

Formerly the largest privately owned airport in Canada, Buttonville is now jointly owned by Cadillac Fairview Corporation Ltd. and Toronto Airways Ltd., headed up by the original owners, the Sifton family.

“The secondary plan application changes the permitted use,” said Finley McEwan, vice-president of development at Cadillac Fairview. “So we will be asking height limits to be lifted. Our current thinking is that there should be no height limit, but if there was a height limit, it should be very high.”

McEwan added the proposal includes a signature landmark tower, reaching 50 to 60 storeys. The proposal also states the next tallest building would be between six and eight storeys. Derek Sifton, president of Toronto Airways, added that the airport is expected to close in 2013, with construction of buildings slated for 2015.

After the National Energy Board’s (NEB) approval of the reversal of Enbridge’s Line 9B in 2014, North York residents have been standing in support of the Chippewas of the Thames First Nations (COTTFN) as they faced the Supreme Court of Canada to contest the decision Nov. 30.